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The Ascension of the High Church
In the year 2217 The High Church of Messiah-as-Emperox ascended and was established as the official state religion of The Empire. Taking their place as sideways to the nobility in the chain of being. Pre-Ascension High Church The Precursor to the High Church's future clergy could be found across all of the Colony Ships with the particularly devout and faithful taking the lead in worship of many primal religions originating from earth.The core of what would become the High Church could be found upon their own colony ship. It was a journey marked by rigorous theological debate. The arguments and disputes of religions on earth continuing well into the 23rd Century. It was not all contention and strife however, as a strong interfaith movement was needed for the ship to operate effectively and fulfill it's long journey to Acheron Rho. After arriving on Imperial Prime, the members of the Church Colony ship were quick to justify the war against the native alien population who threatened the colonies continued survival (Later branded The War for Human Prosperity). This was the start of the seed that would become the Pro-Human and Anti-Alien beliefs the later High Church would promote. However, despite the unity displayed in the war, debate and argument on theological matters was quick to resume as soon as the threat was over in 2215 when the peace treaties were signed and the Empire was founded. The populations of the colony ships had become increasingly spiritual as their war against the alien was preached as a divine duty, filling a larger purpose. Each primal religion vying for popular support among the very spiritual population led to conflict and disunity in the newly founded empire. Eventually the First Emperox decided that something must be done to ensure that the rival populations and cultures did not descend into religiously motivated civil war. They called for each religious leader to join them on Imperial Prime setting into motion the events that would eventually lead to what we now call the Ascension. The Ascension The First Emperox called to order the first Ecumenical Council. The Official story told by the High Church is that this was successful, and from that peaceful discourse one unified religion emerged. The truth of the matter is much less harmonious. This Council was established with the aim to reconcile the different religious practices and values in order to make sure that those following different beliefs could still be unified. This was a well-intentioned plan however it proved more difficult than the Emperox and their court could possibly have thought. The debate between leaders raged endlessly. Minor quibbles about acceptable dress, the day of the week to worship, how much should be tithed, what happens after we die, the nature of God. Upon all these topics and more minor differences turned into uncrossable schisms as religious leaders rallied into different camps. Things escalated when a disagreement about the acceptable style of Hat inside religious buildings came to blows. Fed up by their petty squabbles at this point, The First Emperox felt no choice other than to step in. The First Emperox ordered the doors of the Imperial Court closed. Armed Guards surrounded the assembly and permitted none to leave. In an announcement, The First Emperox set a time limit of 24 hours. If an agreement had not been reached in that time, those assembled would never be allowed to leave the chamber. A sentence to death by starvation. To quote the Emperox: "They may dine on their venomous words". Spurred on by the threat of Death, the religious leaders found incentive to agree on core topics. The Ten Virtues were debated the most but eventually all could agree upon the Ten Qualities that were required by Soul and the Ten Qualities that God displayed in most intensity. Following from this was the agreement that only Humans have a Soul. From this understanding came the agreement (some say that this too was under persuasion) that the Emperox was divinely backed by God as a Messiah, and as such had primacy among those with a Soul. This became the basis for the Chain of Being, the caste system becoming theologically enforced as well as materially. The First Emperox then established from the assembled leaders the most fervent Ten. Those who had become leaders of the differing opinions and reconciled them between each other. These the Emperox would call Exarch, appointing another to become High Exarch. Supreme spiritual advisor to the throne and chief enforcer in the church of the Emperox wishes. During The Golden Age The Reign of the First Emperox eventually came to an end but their legacy was one of prosperity and wealth for those of Acheron Rho. For the next 500 years, the Empire found itself in a Golden Age. Each Emperox would continue to build upon the foundations and develop the Empire further. During this time the High Church was monolithic, of one mind, and with continually developing central doctrine guided by the Golden Age Emperox. With the high level of technological infrastructure communication was easy and fast, this was a major contributor in the High Church's ability to remain cohesive. As with all power, corruption would often take hold in the hearts of a religious leader, but during this time the Emperox and the internal Inquisition of the High Church would be quick to tear it out from its root. The High Church was powerful, entrenched, and unified. As with all good things, however, it would come to an end. The devastating Scream tore through the empire, destroying the majority of advanced technology, slaughtering those with Psionic abilities, and plunging the sector into a dark Silence. Post-Scream Revival The Scream and following silence, as with every other group in the sector, had a catastrophic effect upon the High Church. On their home planet of Andophael, there is no native biosphere and no room to create one. Strict rationing was in place and by the time they were rediscovered by House Fornax and House Vela were weak and desperate people. As the rediscovery of the sector continued it became clear that the once unified High Church had become fractured and weak as the different cultures and different personalities had led to the divergence of belief during the time of crisis. The remnants of High Church leadership on Andophael quickly had to devise a solution to halt the drift and maintain spiritual cohesion in the Empire. The solution devised was to establish less fractured branches. Schools of philosophical thought that over time could be shaped and shepherded until the High Church was of only one thinking once more. The High Order was the first Branch to come into solidified existence. Establishing themselves as administrators and leaders of the church would grant Andophael the ability to remain centralised theological power to whom the rediscovered people must conform. In opposition to this were those who believed that now was a time for the church to change, and so alongside the High Order the group now known as Reformists gained popularity. As each planet and culture was re-discovered, so was established the syncretic branch that the worshipers on that planet would now fall under. In the Tsatsos system, the Masoodites were founded having been led by a charismatic church leader through the silence. In Alvero, Purists arose with a focus on the human flesh. In Aliya the zealous Crusaders were re-incorporated into church structure. The Perithr system found itself home to academics who had gained a love of study and strict interpretation, the Orthadox. The home system of imperial prime found itself home to the conservatives, those most dedicated to trying to preserve the history of their planets but also having to adapt to survive. In Ellis the Guardians emerged, staunch and protective. In Antakis the Karmists had found a more important meaning in the cycle of life and death. In Pamita Cha, the scientific overtures of House Triangulum had led to a clergy more focused to non-interference and study of the natural world. These Ten Branches would become the foundation for the High Church post scream. Each High Exarch has made it their mission to eliminate the need for branches. To reconcile completely once more the different schools of thought amongst the clergy of the Empire. This ongoing task will be the death or revival of a unified Imperial High Church. Category:The High Church of Messiah-as-Emperox Category:History